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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Parks & Recreation Gets a Progress Report

There is a Parks and Recreation Master Plan (adopted September 16, 2006) and an Open Space Master Plan (March 17, 2007). Today El Paso's Parks & Recreation Department got a progress report from Jim Carrillo of Halff Associates, Inc, the consulting firm that guided citizens through the master plan processes.

The El Paso Parks 2006-2009 Progress Report is well worth taking the time to read. Carrillo gives a detailed analysis of how well the City has done in the past three years with its Parks and Open Space master plans. Three major "progress indicators" were used to "grade" the City's efforts: Significant Progress, Ongoing Progress and No Major Progress.

Significant Progress was made in these areas:

  • Parkland dedication as a tool to provide much needed parks
  • Acquisition of smaller parks (excepting in parts of the City with slower growth
  • Trail development in parks
  • Use of stormwater fee to fund open space
  • Core staff improvements, automation, fiscal accounting

Areas with Ongoing Progress:

  • Parkland improvements
  • Parkland acquisition in areas of City with slower growth
  • Acquisition of non-stormwater related open space
  • Open Space oversight structure
  • Longer trail corridors
  • Long term governance structure

And the areas with no Major Progress:

  • Parkland acquisition to address community and regional park needs
  • Regional park development
  • Annual capital expenditure funding source for immediate park system needs
  • Opportunity funding for open space and trails

Interestingly, no members of either the Open Space Advisory Board or the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board were alerted by Parks and Recreation staff that the report would be given to Council. You would think that many members (or, at least, the Chairman of these boards) would want to take the time to go to the Council meeting.

You have probably seen this popular advertisement on television:



When citizens work hard to help write master plans, their expectations are that the plans will be carried out. Little do they know that there are staff persons and others ready to limit their expectations to a very small space. "Well . . . you can't ride very far," the villain in the ad explains. Sound familiar?

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